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page 2 of 3 | previous The kids hadn't been so excited in ages; not since Grandma Cema took them to Sea World for the first time on Earth. When the break came, they all packed their bags and got into the PTV to go to the spaceport. The family sat around the table looking at brochures on the viewsceen, planning what they were going to do while they waited to arrive. The shuttle ride was only about 50 minutes and the family took a tunnel train from the spaceport to the Disney-Sagan resort. The suite had 3 small bedrooms, two bathrooms, a cozy living room with a 3-meter view screen, and a small kitchen area. "This is going to be wonderful." Anna was glad she didn't have to share a room with Peter, and she was going to get to ride the new Space Mountain. Peter agreed, "I want to see Mickey and I want to drive a PTV!" Benson shook his head from side to side. "Lets get settled in first, Peter. We have two weeks. I'm sure you'll get to see Mickey soon enough. And, you know, driving PTVs is against the law." "But, you're going to fix that, Dad. I want to stay here forever." "You know, we can't. Asimov is the only satellite that does not have Earth's gravity. It is deliberately set to make people feel light and happy, so you can't stay here too many weeks before you have to go back to a full gravitational environment, on a satellite, on Earth, or a spaceship. It's probably better, though. If we stayed here too long, we'd run out of money...and it's up to the SSEC whether PTVs will be driven, here. Not me." It was a great day. The kids were exhausted even in the lighter gravitational environment. Yoshiko looked at Benson, "Well, I'm tired. The kids are already asleep. And, I'm going to sleep, myself. By the way, there's a private holomessage for you." "Chadwick-san," the holomessage said. Benson recognized the bowing image, at once. It was Kunisada! "I need your help. We have a crisis on our hands, and your skills as a diplomat are crucial to the survival of IBM. Yes, the very survival of the company is at stake. How this situation got so out of hand is beyond me. But, now that it has, we must act quickly." "My friend, this is the situation. I, myself, have just learned the truth," he said. "When Asimov was built, my predecessor, the late Merrill B. Sands, the Chairman of IBM, bribed the Chairman of the System Safety and Environmental Council, (SSEC) unbeknownst to anyone in the company. In the process, IBM broke dozens of laws in the System. We could be ruined. Our stock could plummet on the System Exchange. Of course, Sands wanted the SSEC Chairman to permit PTV driving on the satellite's surface, but as you know, that will take all kinds of exemptions, and usually, that kind of contract will only go to one company. At the time, IBM did not have the technology that we have today. So nothing happened." 
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